When his aunt and uncle are murdered and his father has been kidnapped, bad boy Marine Force Recon captain, Cullen Loughman teams up with the one woman who turns his world upside down.

Everything’s hotter in Texas…

When Marine Force Recon captain Cullen Loughman learns that his father’s been kidnapped, he will do whatever it takes to find him. In order to achieve his mission, Cullen will need to team up with the best of the best?someone who just happens to be the most stunning woman he’s ever laid eyes on…

This isn’t the first rodeo for ex-Air Force pilot Mia Carter. Still, Cullen’s bad-boy good looks and charm are distracting her from duty. . .and it appears that the feeling is mutual.

As Mia and Cullen make their descent into a dark, dangerous world, their attraction reaches the boiling point. But is their desire worth the risk when a ruthless enemy is waiting in the wings? Or will their Lone Star love conquer all in The Protector?

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Excerpt

Cullen hadn’t expected Mia Carter to be so . . . amazing.
He’d never seen a woman fight with such passion or with movements so beautiful
that he’d found himself watching her instead of finishing off the Colombian.

For the first time in Cullen’s life, he couldn’t find words.
He could only stare at the beautiful woman with one thought—Valkyrie.

She was the epitome of what he imagined the winged creatures
of Norse mythology would look like. All she needed was armor and a sword to
complete his vision.

Now, as he sat in the cockpit of the British WWII Bristol
Buckingham C. MK 1 plane, also known as the Bristol Type 163 Buckingham, he
couldn’t keep his eyes off her.

Beautiful didn’t begin to describe this incredible woman.
Every time her steely black gaze fringed with impossibly thick lashes turned
his way, he became entranced. Her eyes were large and slightly tilted up at the
corners.

He forgot to breathe as he took in her unblemished, sun-kissed
face. With high cheekbones and wide, full lips, he was smitten.

Wisps of inky black hair escaped from her ponytail to fall
along the narrow column of her neck. An olive tee skimmed her torso to show
mouthwatering curves, and black denim showcased her lithe legs to perfection.

“It was Orrin who approached me,” she said.

That didn’t surprise him. His father had always had a gift for
finding talent and using it to his advantage. “When?”

“A few years ago.”

It made Cullen wonder what else his father had been up to.
While he and his brothers were off building their lives, Orrin Loughman had
been setting up a team of Black Ops members to do some of the dirtiest jobs.

One of the missions, put together by the DOD, had sent Orrin
and his team to Russia to steal a bioweapon.

Except something had gone terribly wrong. Someone betrayed
Orrin Loughman. In the process, he’d been kidnapped, and his team was executed.

The last person to see his father was the woman sitting next
to Cullen.

The years he’d spent as a Marine Force Recon captain had
taught him many things. He knew how to fight his way out of various situations
using his hands, body, and mind. He knew how to spot lairs and traitors. He
also had dozens of rescues to his name.

He was damn good at his job. But he had to be more than good
now. His father’s very life depended on it.

“How did you find me?” Mia asked.

“I went to the Air Force Base. When you weren’t there, I
went to General Davis’s office. It seems they keep a record of every flight you
make.”

Her lips compressed. “That they do.”

“To my benefit. If I hadn’t arrived, you would either be
dead or in Camilo’s care. Neither of which sounds appealing.”

“I already thanked you.”

“Yes, ma’am. You sure did.” He linked his fingers over his
stomach. There was something about Mia Carter he found compelling, and it had
nothing to do with her beauty. She was very much like him, he suddenly
realized.

Wary of the world with a look of cynicism she didn’t bother
to hide.

“Tell me how a pilot with your skills is able to have a hangar
on a base, work for the military as a contractor, and still be able to take
jobs with criminals. Because let’s be honest . . . Camilo was a criminal.”

“It won’t matter what I give you as an explanation. You’ve
already formed an opinion,” she replied coolly.

In fact, he had formed an opinion. He suspected that she
liked danger. She also loved to fly. Combine the two, and she was in heaven.

“You were telling me about how you and my father began
working together,” he said, getting them back on topic.

She cut him a look with her black eyes. “What you really
want to know is if I betrayed him. As I told Callie—and everyone listening on
the phone that day—it wasn’t me.”

“I do remember that call. Though I’ve learned that people
say a lot of things that aren’t the truth.”

“You want the truth?” she asked, turning her head to him.
“I’ll tell you the truth. I hated taking orders, so I left the Air Force as
soon as I could. But I wasn’t ready to give up flying. It’s my life.”

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her "totally addictive" and "unique and sensual" stories. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Kings, features a thrilling combination of dragons, Fae, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her two children and an assortment of animals in Texas.